This invention relates to an apparatus and method for supporting an article, such as a bicycle, on a vehicle-mounted carrier.
Various vehicle-mounted rack or carrier constructions are known, and are typically employed to support articles, such as bicycles or other recreational equipment, on a vehicle. In a typical application, a hitch-mounted rack or carrier includes a mounting arrangement for engagement with the hitch of a vehicle. One type of rack or carrier is in the form of a tubular member defining an inverted L-shape, having an upright member extending upwardly from the mounting arrangement and a mounting section extending rearwardly from the upper end of the upright member. In order to support bicycles, skis or other equipment, a series of brackets or the like are engageable with the mounting section. Examples of such bracket constructions are shown and described in Bloemer et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,555 issued Jul. 7, 1998, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The ""555 patent discloses a wing or bracket assembly which includes an opening for receiving the carrier mounting section, in combination with a clamping assembly including a pivotable locking handle for selectively clamping the wing or bracket onto the carrier mounting section. A pair of aligned support tabs are mounted one to each end of the wing or bracket, and are typically employed to engage the cross tube of a bicycle. A tube holder is pivotably mounted to each end of the wing or bracket, and defines a trough for engaging either the cross tube or a down tube of the bicycle frame. Engagement of the tube holder with the down tube prevents the bicycle from swaying when the bicycle is engaged with the wing or bracket.
While the above construction has been found to be satisfactory to mount bicycles or other articles to a vehicle-mounted equipment carrier, there are certain bicycle frame styles which cannot be supported using a wing or bracket constructed in this manner, such as bicycle frame styles designed for women or juveniles, as well as other specially configured bicycle frames. In addition, while the prior art design provides a certain amount of versatility in accommodating different frame styles and types of equipment, such flexibility is limited by the mounting of the tube supports to the ends of the wing or bracket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a support assembly and method for a vehicle-mounted carrier, wherein the support assembly is capable of supporting a wide variety of bicycle frame styles, including women""s and juvenile frame styles, as well as other types of specially configured bicycle frame styles. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a support assembly and method in which the support assembly can be quickly and easily reconfigured to accommodate different types of bicycle frames or other equipment. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a support assembly and method in which the support assembly provides a stabilizing feature in its various configurations. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a support assembly and method in which the support assembly incorporates an internal arrangement by which the support member is secured to the carrier mounting member. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a support assembly and method in which the support assembly can be employed to support various types of equipment, such as bicycles or skis, simply by rearranging certain of the support assembly components relative to the other. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a support assembly and method in which the support assembly is relatively simple in its components, construction and installation, yet which provides a highly advantageous, secure and flexible system for supporting various articles of equipment on a vehicle-mounted equipment carrier.
In accordance with the invention, a support assembly for a vehicle-mounted carrier having an outwardly extending mounting member generally includes a first support member, a second support member engageable with the first support member, and a locking member for selectively securing the first and second support members together. The first support member includes first and second fixed-position support or engagement areas for engaging a bicycle frame or other article at a pair of spaced locations. In a preferred form, the first support member includes a central hub and a pair of arms extending outwardly from the central hub. Each support area is provided on one of the arms. The hub defines an opening through which the carrier mounting member extends.
The second support member is movable to varying positions relative to the first support member, and includes a third support or engagement area separate from the first and second support engagement areas. The second support member can be moved to varying positions relative to the first support member, for varying the location of the third support area relative to the first and second support areas. In a preferred form, the second support member includes a central hub defining a passage, and an arm extending outwardly from the central hub. The third support area is provided on the arm, and the hub defines a passage through which the carrier mounting member extends. The hub of the second support member is engageable with the hub of the first support member, and the second support member hub can be rotated relative to the first support member hub so as to vary the angular position of the second support member arm, and thereby the third engagement area, relative to the arms of the first support member and thereby the first and second engagement areas.
The locking member is selectively engageable with the hub of the first support member and is also engageable with the hub of the second support member. In one form, the locking member extends through the passage defined by the hub of the second support member, and the locking member and the hub of the first support member include mating threads such that the locking member can be rotated and advanced toward the hub of the first support member. The hub of the second support member is clamped between the locking member and the hub of the first support member, so as to fix the position of the second support member relative to the first support member.
In addition, the first support member may include locking structure for selectively securing the support assembly to the carrier mounting member. In a preferred form, the locking structure includes a series of radially spaced axially extending fingers provided on the hub of the first support member, in combination with engagement structure provided on the locking member. Rotation of the locking member, to advance the locking member toward the hub of the first support member, results in engagement of the engagement structure with the locking fingers, which are normally biased to a position out of contact with the carrier mounting member. The engagement structure is configured such that, upon continued advancement of the locking member toward the first support member, the engagement structure forces the locking fingers inwardly into contact with the carrier mounting member, to frictionally engage the hub of the first support member with the carrier mounting member, and thereby to secure the support assembly in position on the carrier mounting member.
The third support or engagement area provided by the second support member can be moved to various positions relative to the first and second support or engagement areas of the first support member, according to the configuration of the bicycle frame or other article to be supported by the support assembly. In most cases, the third support area is engaged with a diagonal tube or down tube of the bicycle frame, to act as a stabilizer for preventing the bicycle from swaying or swinging relative to the carrier. With other frame constructions, the third support area can be positioned so as to cooperate with one of the first and second support areas so as to suspend the bicycle frame. The other of the first and second support areas is positioned so as to engage an upwardly extending member of the bicycle, such as the seat post, to provide stability against swaying or swinging motion.
The invention further contemplates a method of supporting an article on a vehicle-mounted equipment carrier, substantially in accordance with the foregoing summary.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.
The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.